YOLO COUNTY

The last leg of our California trip was Yolo County, the heart of Sacramento Valley, of which the city of Davis is the hubbub of the county and Woodland, the county seat. Nancy, Barb and I stayed in Davis at the Hallmark Inn at 110 F Street. Great hotel and great location for all we needed to do. We had adjoining rooms with mine provided with a small refrigerator as requested...for leftovers and any other goodies we picked up along the route. We later found the buffet breakfast was above and beyond a continental with an added omelet station.

Since much of the day had been spent completing Santa Rosa and traveling to Davis, we relaxed a bit before going to dinner at Seasons Restaurant, abutting the hotel. Seasons Restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine and utilizes fresh, local products. The restaurant features a wood burning oven, open kitchen, a Chef's table, and private dining facilities. Most important to me as that they use locally grown ingredients, which is perfect, considering the number of farms in the county.

Trying to get enough sampling of the menu we decided to choose a bunch of appetizers and had: Ricotta Gnocchi with butternut squash, green apple, marcona almond and crisp sage; Rock Shrimp Fritters with chili aioli,tiny basil and lime squeeze; Lobster Deviled Eggs, with caviar and chives; Warm California Olives in a house marinade; and Free-Range Duck Enchiladas with marinated cabbage,feta and salsa verde.

Dessert, of course. Double Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream and Scharffen Berger cacao nibs; and Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee with strawberries and cream.

The Executive Chef is Cullen Newhoff and the owner is Tamas Torok, pictured in front of the huge wine room.